Frequently Asked Questions about SAB, CASAC, and Council Membership and
Establishment of Ad Hoc Panels and Committees

Who appoints experts to SAB, CASAC, and Council
and SAB standing committees?

The EPA Administrator appoints experts to the SAB,
CASAC, and Council and SAB standing committees.

How do experts get to serve on the SAB, CASAC,
and Council and SAB standing committees?

The SAB Staff Office requests public nominations of
experts annually through a Federal Register Notice.
The notice specifies the expertise and other
qualifications needed and requests nominations for
SAB, CASAC, and Council membership and
membership on SAB Standing Committees.

The SAB Staff Office seeks nominations from other
federal agencies, scientific and research organizations,
professional societies, and non-governmental
organizations, as well as from EPA and current SAB
via letters and direct contacts.

Who appoints experts to panels and ad hoc
committees

The EPA SAB Staff Director appoints experts to panels
and ad hoc committees.

How do experts get to serve on panels and ad hoc
committees?

The SAB Staff Office creates panels and ad hoc
committees when a new advisory topic requires
expertise not available among current members of the
chartered SAB, CASAC, Council, or standing SAB
Committees.

The SAB Staff Office announces plans to create a new
panel in the Federal Register. The notice describes the
advisory activity, identifies the expertise needed, and
requests public nominations of experts.

Who may nominate experts?

Experts may self-nominate or be nominated by the public.

Members of the public can use a Web-enabled process to identify nominees, provide contact information, and
describe how the nominee would provide the expertise needed. Providing specific and complete information on
nominees assists the SAB Staff Office in considering public nominations in an efficient manner.

The SAB Staff Office also searches independently for experts to provide needed expertise to ensure that all the
expertise needs are filled and that the panel or committee will be adequately balanced.

What happens after experts are nominated to or
identified for the SAB, CASAC, and Council and
SAB standing committees?

The process for creating panels is described in the
Implementation Plan for the New Structural
Organization of the EPA Science Advisory Board

What happens after experts are nominated or
identified?

The process for creating panels is described in the
Overview of the Panel Formation Process at the
Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory
Board (EPA-SAB-EC-02-010) and the Implementation


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(SAB): A Report of the EPA Science Advisory Board
Staff Office (EPA-SAB-04-002).

The SAB Staff Office reviews qualifications of
nominees to assess whether they have the scientific
education, training, and experience to evaluate basic
and applied science issues addressed by the advisory
committees. The Staff Office looks for nominees who
have distinguished themselves professionally and who
will be available to invest the time and effort in
providing advice and recommendations to EPA. The
Staff Office consults with the Agency and current
members of the SAB, CASAC and Council in this
process.

The SAB Staff Office Director submits
recommendations for new members annually for the
EPA Administrator's consideration and approval.

The EPA Administrator will inform selected members
of their appointment (or reappointment) by letter. New
members will also receive a welcome letter from the
SAB Staff Office Director.

How does the SAB Staff Office evaluate ethics
considerations for experts being considered for the
SAB, CASAC, and Council and SAB standing
committees?

The SAB Staff Office requires experts serving on the
SAB, CASAC, and Council and SAB standing
committees to submit Confidential Financial
Disclosure forms annually and to take ethics training
(see below) once they become Special Government
Employees. Because of the wide variety of advisory
activity that chartered federal advisory committees and
SAB standing committees may address, the SAB Staff
Office also requires members to update their
Confidential Financial Disclosure forms and to respond
to questions about appearance of lack of impartiality
every time they address a new advisory activity.

Ethics considerations and appearance of lack of
impartiality are especially important because of legal
requirements and the importance of providing impartial
advice. Ethics information is considered whenever

Plan for the New Structural Organization of the EPA
Science Advisory Board (SAB): A Report of the EPA
Science Advisory Board Staff Office (EPA-SAB-04-
002)

The SAB Staff Offices publishes a "short list" of all
qualified experts and provides their biosketches on the
Web. At that time, the Staff Office invites the public to
provide "information, documentation, or analysis" to
assist the SAB Staff Director in assembling an
appropriate panel of experts to provide sound,
independent, balanced, and useful scientific and
technical advice.

How does the SAB Staff Office evaluate candidates
for membership?

The SAB Staff Office evaluates candidates based on
five factors:

1)	The scientific and/or technical expertise needed
to address the advisory topic;

2)	Absence of financial conflicts of interest;

3)	Scientific credibility and impartiality;

4)	Availability and willingness to serve; and

5)	Ability to work constructively and effectively
on committees.

Ethics considerations and appearance of lack of
impartiality are especially important because of legal
requirements and the importance of providing impartial
advice. The SAB Staff Office asks experts being
considered for service on a panels or ad hoc committee
to respond to questions about appearance of lack of
impartiality and to submit a Confidential Financial
Disclosure Form for Special Government Employees
Serving on Federal Advisory Activities at the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency if they will serve as
Special Government Employees or to fill out a
Confidential Financial Disclosure Form (usually an
OGE-450 or an SF-278) if they are Regular
Government Employees.

The SAB Staff considers information provided by
nominees and nominators, any information provided by


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members of a standing committee on chartered
committee take up a new advisory activity.

members of the public on short list candidates, and
information gathered independently by the SAB Staff
Office to evaluate whether candidates can provide
sound, independent, balanced, and useful scientific and
technical advice.

The SAB Staff publishes a determination memorandum
on the SAB Web site whenever it creates a new ad hoc
committee or panel. Determination memoranda
document the steps taken to form the particular
committee or panel.

What are expectations of members of panels and committees?

Members are expected to give independent advice and to represent themselves only and no other organization or
group. Because members serve as Special Government Employees or Regular Government Employees, they are
subject to conflict of interest rules and ethics requirements. Members must submit Confidential Financial
Disclosure Forms annually and take annual Ethics Training. Members are expected to follow EPA's procedures
for implementing the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as directed by the SAB Staff Office Designated Federal
Officer for their panel or committee and as described in the SAB Staff Office publication, Advisory Committee
Meetings and Report Development: Process for Public Involvement.

How long do experts serve on SAB, CASAC, and
Council and SAB standing committees?

The EPA Administrator appoints members for a period
of three years, with the possibility of re-appointment to
a second three-year term.

How long do experts serve on panels and ad hoc
committees?

Members serve until the advisory project is completed.
Because advisory projects vary by topic and
complexity, terms of service vary. Some advisory
projects are completed in 4 months. Some may take as
long as 4 years.

November 2007


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